This invention relates to cartons which may be used for storing or shipping a plurality of products and converted to an open container suitable to display and dispense the products individually. More particularly, this invention relates to an enclosed paperboard carton capable of enclosing containers, which carton has a unique opening and dispensing feature that allows the containers, for example, pouches to be removed or dispensed without destroying the overall structural integrity of the carton. The unique opening and dispensing feature can be incorporated in cartons containing a plurality of layers of pouches stacked on their sides.
Pouches made out of various materials have become popular for carrying drinks and other consumer food items such as applesauce. Cardboard cartons are generally used to package and ship a plurality of individually wrapped or packaged articles such as consumer products.
A number of these pouches can be carried in a carton, but the removal of a portion of the carton to remove a pouch results in the destruction of the carton. The destruction of the carton often results from tearing open the dispenser and by doing so also weakening the composite end panel of the carton which is formed by gluing multiple flaps together. The dispenser tear lines typically run through the glued flaps and the integrity of the composite end panel is destroyed or compromised by tearing the dispenser. It would be convenient and desirable for these cartons to have a readily openable or removable panel that would allow access to the contents of a carton without destroying the carton.
It would also be desirable to have a carton that could dispense these pouches, but yet remain intact for future dispensing, containment or carrying.